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Kids of La Cantera

  • Writer: Head Scout
    Head Scout
  • 3 days ago
  • 7 min read

Leeds United U21 2-0 Athletic Bilbao u21 (Premier League International Cup Group Stages)


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I’ve got a bit of man flu. Just coughs and sneezes which I always seem to pick up around this time of year, but that won’t deter me from heading north today, to the city of York, and to watch a Premier League International Cup game between two young sides, Leeds United and Athletic Bilbao.


Now, Athletic Club, have always fascinated me, they have a cantera policy (cantera meaning quarry in Spanish) where they ‘only’ produce players within their youth system, of Basque origin, meaning their pool of players is much ‘smaller’ than the traditional route taken by most clubs, but their allegiance to locality is long and loyal and I love, that the club have been in La Liga for 95 years, never relegated, with such strict coding on who and who not to sign, I find that admirable in such a competitive division of football they play in.


Players coming through the Bilbao system will go from cadete to juvenil to B team and first team, making natural progression through the ages, and stars like Nico & Inaki Williams have done just that, others include Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aymeric Laporte, Bournemouth Manager Andoni Iraola, and if you’re old like me, you’ll remember Aitor Karanka, Rafael Alkorta, Julen Guerro, Julio Salinas, even Spanish national team Manager, Luis de la Fuente came through the renowned Bilbao youth system.


As for Leeds, well they have had a pretty good youth policy over history too. My dad tells me of the great side of the seventies under Don Revie, with Gary Sprake, Paul Reaney, Terry Cooper, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter, Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer, Paul Madeley, Eddie Gray, all players that went on to great things with Leeds, all coming up through the club’s youth ranks in the 60's.


In fact, Eddie Gray has a long line of family history with Leeds United, his brother Frank also played for Leeds, who’s son Andy, played for Leeds, Eddie’s great nephew Archie started at Leeds, is now at Spurs, whilst his brother, who’s also Andy’s son, Harry, is currently at Leeds.


There’s plenty more, Gary Speed, David Seaman, Denis Irwin, David Batty, Gary Kelly, Jonny Woodgate, Alan Smith, Kalvin Phillips, players many of them, who have gone on to play international football and have stellar careers at the highest level of the game.


That’s why I love attending games like this.


Knowing, that what you’re about to see, law of averages ensuring one or two will go on to become household names. Seeing them at seventeen and eighteen, wondering just how they might progress in the wider game.



The Venue


I’m up the road, the only annoying thing about these 7pm midweek kick off times is that you need to manoeuvre through the rush hour traffic at its worst, but out of Nottingham, eventually, I hit the M1, M18, A1 where it’s not been too bad, and get to the A64 with plenty of time to spare.


It’s a long old loop road the A64, the LNER Community Stadium is over the far north east corner of town, but I can see the lights in the distance, before pulling up outside the Hollywood Bowl car park which completely covers the entirety of the football stadium behind, you wouldn’t even know it’s there.


I’ve got 4 hours parking on non-matchdays, I presume today isn’t a matchday as York City aren’t playing? As I walk around the back of the stadium to figure out where the doors are, I do a complete clockwise circle of the place before realising had I gone anticlockwise I would already have been in my seat by now.


“Ah noor, we’ve changed the entrance” says a young northern girl on the turnstiles as I tell her “I’ve been right around the houses here”. At one point I even walked through the adjacent Leisure Centre looking for a way in.

Finally, though, inside where I ask the only kiosk open if they have any hot food. A meat and potato pie with a PG tips tea ordered, I take a walk to the colourful seating section where the players are out below, being put through their paces, the Basque boys doing a few kick ups, the Leeds lads plenty of running.


It’s great inside this enclosed four sided arena. In fact, so great, I said that Boston United had the best stadium in the National League a couple of weeks back, I probably need to amend that, to say this place is better. Well unlike Boston it has four sides, at least, and inside it lights up like a Tardis, is very spacious and the pitch looks magnificent, glowing green with a hint of yellow from the shining lights above.


The Game


This is Leeds usual U19 side, and it seems to be a mix of Bilbao’s U17/U19’s and is most certainly not their B team who play in the Spanish third tier.


The game kicks off with just a few hundred in attendance, a few pimps and agents, some families of young players, some screaming kids on a jolly up on row one, but fairly sparce with just one stand of four in use, the action is neat, tidy, typical academy stuff, Leeds in 4-3-3 have 37-year-old Jonny Howson playing centre back, he’s manager and doing a job on field which I presume is down to lack of resources, as Leeds have been struggling with central defenders to partner young sixteen-year-old Jacob Howard.


Bilbao I’m having a good look at to see how their style contrasts with their English counterparts, also 4-3-3, whilst Leeds are pretty direct, aggressive, physical, they work hard, are snappy in the press and look to get the ball forward and attack. The Spaniards, sorry Basques, are a little less physical, more comfortable on the ball, they look to play at every opportunity, not always coming off, but they have some players who look really tidy when in possession, I like that they try and play and aren't afraid in any area to do so.


That said, it’s a slow and largely underwhelming first half where not much happens, other than Leeds United striker Render racing through, he’s one on one with time to think but can’t finish past Gallastegi who holds firm, then the lively Harvey Vincent smashes a post when cutting in off the right, the rebound hitting Render and bouncing wide.


The Score


You feel the stronger team is Leeds, who have a bit more power and snap about them, but Bilbao are nice on the eye, they have players who try and play, and in right full back Urko Liceaga and in central midfielder Pablo Iturria they have two I really like.


But it’s a lad of Leeds I like who starts a move on 57 which gets the games first goal which warms up the vocals of the home supporters, Alfie Cresswell wins the ball in midfield, he’s been doing the ugly stuff all evening, he plays it to Ollie Pickles who’s his trusted sidekick in midfield, and who’s been equally as impressive tonight. Pickles pulls back to Brockie who has his shot blocked, falling back to Cresswell who follows in nicely, on the up he guides his right boot towards ball which then floats at pace towards the right-hand side of the net.


It’s a brilliant strike from a player who’s gritty, workmanlike, industrious, between Cresswell and Pickles the middle engine is really the heartbeat of this Leeds side, and in truth, they deserve their lead.


That lead is doubled when substitute Logan White gets in on the act, he’s sent through by a brilliant Cresswell pass and races home with pace to calmly finish, a good nights work for Jonny Howson’s kids, the old boy by now is playing with swagger, leading by example, dropping shoulders and smashing sixty-yard cross field passes. "That's how you do it son".


Late on, there’s an Athletic rally following a plethora of substitutes, they have a long range shot from Encinas and even have the ball in the net, bundled home from a ninetieth minute corner, but the flag is waved for offside, and Leeds United in all white, keep their clean sheet intact.


The Stars


From back to front there’s plenty of performances by Leeds players worthy of a mention, goalkeeper Ombang untroubled, largely, but everything he did, he did well. Full backs Douglas & Firth (sounds like a solicitors) both had snap and commitment, their sixteen year old centre back Howard, a big lad, did well, he will learn so much, just by playing next to Jonny Howson.


In midfield, their Pickles/Cresswell partnership gelled brilliantly, Cresswell the one who’s probably more box to box, aggressive, looking to get forward, next to Pickles who sits, and can play a bit, keeping it more simple, whilst out wide I liked the ginger haired Harvey Vincent who ran his socks off until he got cramp, Devon Brockie, wearing ten, looks to be a good player.


As for Bilbao, their number six Iturria, was the one who made them tick, he plays typical Spanish like Pedri, Xavi, central midfield, no matter who’s around him he can still get out of trouble with quick feet, a neat pass, good vision and tiki-taka DNA.


Likewise, was their number eight Oihan Encinas who’s had Spanish U16 caps and played the central midfield role the Spanish way we love, but my most rounded footballer of the night was seventeen year old right back Urko Liceaga, he carried the ball forwards very progressively, tall and quick, like so many of the Bilbao players, very competent and controlled with the ball at his feet.


The Verdict


The Premier League International Cup is certainly a competition that works, for players progressing to their next levels, I would love to see more interest in it, getting a ticket is not always easy, hardly advertised, some clubs play at their Academies whilst others, like Leeds, will play 30 miles away, but for folk to come see the next generation, what better competition to do so? Southampton play Real Madrid’s youngsters in a couple of weeks, when ever else can Saints fans say they have seen los Blancos play at St Marys?


The Teams


Leeds United: Darryl Ombang, Connor Douglas, Jonny Howson, Jacob Howard, Will Firth, Ollie Pickles, Alfie Cresswell, Devon Brockie (Logan White 68), Harvey Vincent (Louie Whitehead 90), Jacob Render (Louie Dudley 83), Josh McDonald.


Athletic Bilbao: Zugatz Gallastegi, Urko Liceaga (Adrian Alvarez 80), Pablo Martinez, Alex Carril, Ilyas El Arbaoui, Pablo Iturria (Enzo Alexis 80), Oihan Encinas, Xantiago Oyharcabal, Benat Garcia, Alain Cobos (Mikel Urrestarazu 58), Andres Bohorquez (Oier Cueva 70), Cobos Garcia (Unax Urzaiz 58).


7:00pm Kick Off. Wednesday 15th October 2025, York Community Stadium, York (att 200 est).

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